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2 Sheets-Sheet 1 HEAFER.

Brick Truck.

Pat ented Jan. 7, 1668-.

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NFEI'ERS. PHOTOJJTHOGRAPHER, wnsumeron, D C.

N. B. HEAFER.

Brick Truck.

2 Sheets-S'neet 2.

Patented Jan. 7, 1668.

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NAPOLEON B. HEAFER, OF BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS. Letters Patent No. 73,097, dated January 7, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN BRICK-TRUCK.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

-Be it known that I, B. HEAFER, of Bloomington, in the county of McLean, and State of Illinois, have invented a new and improved Brick-Truck and Roller; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and 'exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in .which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved truck with thills attached. I

Figure 2 is a side. elevation of the truck, showing the axles in section, and the tongues drawn out in pcsition for use. V

Figure 3 is an elevation of the front end of the truck.

Figure 4, is a bottom view of the truck.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures. v

This invention relates to certain novel improvements-in the construction of trucks which are designed particularly for use inabrick-yard. Such trucks have been hitherto constructed with'a single narrow tread-wheel, somewhat like a common hand-barrow, and are used exclusively in the work of hacking bricks in the yard. Such hack-barrows are adapted for hand-use, and serve no other purpose than that fonwhich they are designed. One great objection to these barrows is that their wheels cut into and destroy the level surface of the yard, so as to. require planking to be laiddown, upon which to roll them. I

The object of my invention is to obtain a truck or carriage of such form and construction that it shall serve several very important ofiices in and abouta brick-yard, and shall be adapted for hand-use, as well as for the use of a horse in moving it about.

The nature of my inventionconsists in a platform, which is mounted horizontally upon truck-wheels, that are adapted to serve theitwofold purpose of transporting-wheels for said platform, and of rollers for levelling and packing the surface of the'brick-yard, thereby admitting of the rolling and packing of the yard-at the same time the carriage is used as a conveyance for objects from one place 'to another.

And it further consists in providing for the use of thills, by which to attach a horse to the carriage for drawing very heavy loads, and also for the use of a sliding hand-tongue,by which the carriage can be moved about in places where a horse could not be conveniently worked, as-willbe hereinafter described.

.To enable others skilled in the art to make'and use my invention, I will describe its construction and operation with references to -the. drawings. i

In the accompanying drawings, A represents a horizontal platform, which is made in a very strong and substantial manner, and'provided with headand tail-boards A A, which are strengthened by means of outside battens h it. The lower ends of these battens-form tenons, that enter mortises in the platform, and thus serve as attachments for said boards, which will admit of their removal at pleasure. The platform is sustained upon theaxles B B of transporting-wheels G C, which axles are of such length that the wheels do not project beyond the sides of the platform. The front axle B is attached to the platform A by means of a king-bolt, g,

so that this axle can be turned around for guiding the carriage. From theforward side of the front axle hounds D project, having plates 1: a secured to them, through the ends of which eyes are made for receiving hooks that are formed on the ends of thill-irons c c, as shown in fig. 1. A curved tongue, E, having a T-head upon one end, anda longitudinal slot through it, is applied to the front a'xleB bypassing it through a slot which is made through this axle, and attaching it thereto by meansof the vertical king-bolt g, as shown in fig. 2. This slotted tongue E passes through a staple, b, a'pplied to the transverse bar of the hounds, which staple, in conjunction with the rear attachment above described, keeps the tongue in place, and allows it to be moved endwise, so thatwhen not in immediate .use it can be pushed beneath the platform A, out of the way, as shown in fig. 1. When the tongue E is drawn out, as shown in figs. 2 and 4, it serves as a handle, by which one or more persons can move the carriage. Each one of the wheels 0 of the front and rear axles is constructed with a very wide tread,for the purpose of adapting it to serve as a roller for packing and levelling the surface of the brick-yard duringthe transportation of bricks, wood, or other objects about the yard. By thus constructing the wheels agard will bG-I'Ollfld and levelled ready for the moulder while the'bricks are being cleared oil. The wheels will not sink into the surface of the yard, and therefore they will not meet the catcher in handling the bricks.

resistance which is ofi'ered to narrow-trend wheels. Thethills F, with their hooked irons c, are so constructed that tlleycan be readily attached to and detached froui theeye-plates a'without unhitching them from the When these thills are detached from the carriage, the tongue E is drawn out for hand-use. This tongue permanently attached to the carriage, yet it is not in the way when a horse is used for drawing the carriage. This is used mostly in moving casin'g," and anything needed in casing up a kiln to pnepaire for burning; also for moving one truck out of the way of another in loading and unloading bricks. The head and taii-boarrls A are used for supporting bricks when the carriage is loaded thereg, one or the other of these boards is removed for the convenience of thepitcher and horse. is always ready for use, it being with; and in unloadin Having described my invention, whet I claim as new,and desire to secure-by Letters Patent, is- A truck which is adapt-ed for general use in e brick-yard consisting of a platform, A, vith reinova blo head and tail-boards A A, mo'untecl upon rollers C C, and provided with a sliding hand-tongue, E, and also means for attaching thills F, substantially as described.

N. B. HEAFER.

Witnesses CHARLES W. LAW,

THOMAS DARNOLL. 

